Carriage



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

G. THOMAS.

CARRIAGE. No. 405,723. Patented June 25, 1889.

I h H 3 H [L JP L w H WITNEEEEE INVENTEIR (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.O. THOMAS.

CARRIAGE.

No. 405,723. Patentd June 25, 1889.

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WITNEEEEE I INVENT 13 6L MJ M 7 h 1 121% (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 8.

O. THOMAS.

CARRIAGE.

No. 405,723. Patented June Z5.- 1889.

71/ /F l 4 7U TEIR UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

CHAUNCEY THOMAS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARRIAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,723, dated June 25,1889.

Application filed February 18, 1889. Serial No.299,706. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that I, CHAUNCEY THOMAS, ofBoston, in the county of Suli'olk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Carriages, which will, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, be hereinafter fullydescribed, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a four-passenger-coachbody embodying myinventiomthe side glasses being in position for serviceand the falling pillars raised and connected with the top. Fig. Zshowsthe same body, but with the side glasses and pillars lowered to give anopen side to the body. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, except thatit shows my invention as applied to a two instead of a four passengercarriage. Fig. 4 is a detached sectional inverted plan view, the sectionbeing taken on line Z, Fig. 1, and the view being from below that line,showing one side of the top. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan View, thesection being the same as in Fig. 4, but the view is from above thesection-line. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line X, Fig. 2, andshowing the side glasses disposed in the door to give an open side tothe body. Fig. 7 shows aportion of the top side rail with thepillar-securing dovetail secured to th e iron re-enforce of the rail.Fig. 8 is an inside view of the upper portion of one of the fallingpillars with its securingplate attached to it. Fig. 9 is a detachedvertical section taken through the top side rail, a falling pillar, andthe dovetail by which the pillar is secured to the rail. Fig. 10 is adetached sectional elevation showing the hinge of the falling pillars inside elevation and the adjacent wood work in vertical section. Fig. 11is a similar view of the same parts, but viewed at rightanglesrelatively to Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detailed vertical section showingthe means and method of locking the falling pillars in place when raisedinto position for use.

The object of my invention is to produce a coach or analogous vehiclewhich can at pleasure be converted into a close body in cold or stormyweather or for any reason, or may have either or both sides entirelyopen, thps converting itinto a top vehicle, with an unobstructed Viewfrom either or both sides; and it consists in a carriage having a topfixed in position and supported at the ends thereof, with fallingpillars between the ends hinged at their lower ends and interlocked attheir upper ends with the top side rail, the upper portion or panel ofthe doors and the quarterpanels of the body being preferably of glass,and all arranged to be removed, preferably, into the lower part of thedoor, which is formed to receive them, the top side rail and the devicesby which the pillars interlock therewith being also novel.

Referring again to the drawings, A represents the top, B the back cornerpillars, and O the front corner pillars, all said parts beingconstructed in permanent relation to each other, as is usual incoach-building. I form the side rail D of the top with threelongitudinal parallel parts or membersto wit, the outer part a, of wood,the inner part I), also of wood, and the interposed or middle part c ofmetal, this latter being preferably seated in a rabbet cut in part b andthereto firmly secured by screws, after which parts a and Z) are unitedby means of glue and screws.

It will be clearly seen by reference to Figs. 7 and 9 that the metalpart c of rail D extends below parts a l), the object of this rail thusarranged being threefold. First, it affords the requisite strength andrigidity without having the bar of undesirable size; second, itfurnishes astop or lateral support for the sash of the side glasses, thetop rail of the doorsash f closing against the outer face of 0, whilethe top rails of the quarter-sashes d c bear against the inner facethereof, and, third, the dovetail locks g, to which the heads of thefalling pillars are secured, as will be explained, are secured to saidpart c, as is clearly shown in Fig. 7.

The falling pillars h are arranged directly above the pillars 1, betweenwhich the doorE is arranged, said pillars it having secured to theirlower ends a hinge-plate j, having an integral arm 7;, which passes downinto pillar 1', and is pivoted at Z in cars we of angle-plate n, whichis secured in the rabbet-faces of pillar i in a manner well known and asshown in detail in Figs. 10 and 1].. At the upper ends of pillars hthere is secured to the inner side a plate 1), having an undercutoblique groove (1, corresponding to dovetails g, and to receive the samewhen the pillars are raised in position, as shown in Fig. l, aknurl-headed set-screw .9 being threaded in plate 0 and dovetail 9 andarranged to enter seat t in the bottom of groove q to firmly lockpillars h in place and prevent the possibility of vertical vibration ofthe top or consequent rattling, as plate 19 is thereby firmly pressedagainst dovetail g. The door-glass having sash f is seated in andsupported by the grooved metallic clappers U), which are hinged to thetop part of the door F, which constitutes a portion of what is termedthe belt-rail.

When the door-glass is lowered into the pocket .in the door, as shown inFig. 6, said clappers are turned down, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Therear quarter-glass (l is moved through runway u in the head of the rearpillar to bring it above the door in order to lower it into the pockettherein, and glass 6 is moved in the same manner through groove b infront pillar 2 (See Fig. 5.)

I am aware that it is not new to em ploy falling pillars at the sides ofthe body of other classes of carriages, nor yet is it new to so arrangethe door-pocket and the quarter-glasses that the latter may be moved inways to the door and lowered therein; but I am, I believe, the first toembody in the same vehicle apermanent top, falling pillars, andremovable side glasses, for heretofore when falling pillars have beenemployed they, with the pivoted bows at the rear of the body,constituted the sole support of the top, and the portion of the topsupported by each pair of pillars rose and fell therewith, and hencewhen one side of the vehicle was opened or closed, in part or in whole,the other side was necessarily in the same condition; but by combining apermanent standing top with falling pillars and removable'side glasseseither side of the body may be opened entirely and the other side beclosed entirely, or to any desired'extent and with permanent ends, asshown at my, the occupants may in windy or stormy weather enjoy thepleasures and comfort of both an open and closed carriage by entirelyclosing the then windward side and opening the leeward side, or theentire carriage may be closed, or both sides entirely opened, so as togive a view at both sides unobstructed by any part of the body.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carriage of the general class described, the combination of atophaving permanent supports at the ends thereof, falling pillars hinged tothe body and arranged to be secured to said top when raised, andremovable side glasses arranged to close the space between the permanentlower portion of the body and said top, substantially as specified.

2. As an improvement in coach-tops, the top rail thereof formed witlrtheouter and inner portions a b of wood, and the thin metallic bar 0,interposed therein and arranged to serve as the partition or stop of theglasses,

substantially as specified.

3. In combination with the falling pillars and top, the dovetail g,having both transverse and lineal oblique faces, and plate 15, having agroove to receive said dovetail, substantially as specified.

4. In combination with dovetail g and plate 25, grooved, as specified,the lockingscrew 8, combined and arranged as specified.

CHAUNOEY THOMAS. IVitnesses:

T. W. PORTER, EUGENE HUMPHREY.

